đ Up next
Canada
Sprint Weekend
FP12d 13h
Oscar Piastri says drivers should have âvery littleâ influence over Formula 1 regulation changes, arguing that too much input from those behind the wheel could make the racing less entertaining, while stressing drivers should be listened to on safety. Piastri said: "Honestly, probably very little. I think we should be involved to an extent on things like safety, mainly safety. But if you give the drivers the best cars, best tyres, the best engines, the best everything, the racing is probably not going to be that entertaining. So, there's a line somewhere. From an entertainment side of things, I think our input should be considered but not solely taken."
Williams driver and GPDA director Carlos Sainz says Formula 1âs power unit manufacturers are âpulling strings everywhereâ in talks over further changes to the engine regulations, arguing political interests are stopping teams from agreeing adjustments. Sainz said: "It is just getting all the teams aligned politically to agree, which is what is holding everything back. Clearly, there is a lot of political interest... and they don't want to lose their performance advantage because of rule changes. So you give the teams too much power, and in the end, especially the PU manufacturers are going to fight like hell for their own interests... there are strings attached and they're pulling strings everywhere."
Mercedes is not allowing Andrea Kimi Antonelli to race on the Nordschleife for now, despite the F1 championship leader recently saying he wanted to obtain the DMSB Nordschleife Permit âby the end of the yearâ. Asked if Mercedes would let Antonelli drive at the Nurburgring this year, deputy team principal Bradley Lord said: âNo. Iâve spoken to him about it. I think he meant it more as a joke.â Lord added that Antonelli could âgive it a try after four world championshipsâ, while saying Max Verstappen âperhaps has a bit more range thanks to his experienceâ.
Christian Horner has reportedly held several meetings with BYD vice-president Stella Li as the Chinese EV giant explores a possible Formula 1 entry, with the speculation centred on a bid for the championshipâs 12th team slot rather than the purchase of a minority stake. Nothing has been confirmed by Horner or BYD, but it is understood Horner was a guest of BYD in Cannes, adding to suggestions he could become involved in the project after leaving Red Bull in July 2025.
David Coulthard says Max Verstappen will stay at Red Bull for the rest of his career because the team allows him to âbe Maxâ, despite speculation at points over the Dutchmanâs future. David Coulthard said: "Max will not be going anywhere because there's no other Formula 1 team that would allow him to be Max. Right now, Max is staying with Red Bull for the rest of his career."
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur said Formula 1âs new âlow power start detectionâ system, introduced in a set of rule changes at the Miami Grand Prix on safety grounds, has been âa bit harshâ and âunfairâ on Ferrari. Fred Vasseur said: "It was a bit harsh for us. I understand what they did for safety grounds, but the other option would have been to ask them [the other cars] to start from the pitlane if they think it was not safe. For us it's also a choice that we made. We developed an engine with a criteria and somehow they changed the rule at the last minute."
Lando Norris says a test drive in a Formula E car is âon his radarâ after he attended the Monaco E-Prix last weekend, the first Formula E race he has watched in person. Norris said: "I was planning to do a bit of driving in a Formula E car at some point. I've spoken to Jake [Dennis] and a few of the other guys who've driven here. Not everything correlates between the two [Formula 1 and Formula E] but there are always things you can learn by speaking to and listening to drivers that are at the top of this category."
Martin Brundle says George Russellâs points deficit to Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli is ânot that much of a problemâ in the title race, despite Antonelli winning the last three grands prix to open a 20-point lead in the driversâ championship. Martin Brundle said: "There's a long way to go. There's 482 points available in this championship. I don't think the points deficit is that much of a problem for George Russell. For example, last year in Canada, Lando Norris had a clumsy accident with his team-mate Oscar Piastri in the McLaren, and that looked like he'd hurt his championship chances, then he goes on to become world champion."
Helmut Marko claims Christian Horner did not back Red Bullâs decision to promote Max Verstappen to the senior team four races into the 2016 season. Marko said: "Team principal Christian Horner did not agree with promoting Max after only four races in 2016, he was against it. Just like many rivals and critics attacked me and said Max was far too young and that this was a dangerous move."
Audi F1 boss Mattia Binotto says the âmost obviousâ weakness in the teamâs early form is the gap in its power unit performance, after issues during the Miami Grand Prix weekend for the new engine manufacturer. Binotto said: "When assessing the performance on track, I think the most obvious is the gap we've got on the power unit, which again for us is not a surprise, it was expected. It's a big, huge gap, we believe, but we've got a plan of development for the future and we are focused on that."
Kimi Antonelli says he is not focusing on the Formula 1 title fight at this stage of the season and is concentrating on âraising the barâ and the process, despite attention in Italy on the chance to end a 73-year wait for an Italian world champion. Antonelli said: "I'm aware of what's happening, but I'm not trying to focus too much on that or worry. At the end, it's still a very long season, a lot of races left. And I know on my side I just need to keep raising the bar."
Max Verstappen has become the 28th different F1 world champion to compete in a 24-hour endurance race after racing at the NĂźrburgring last weekend. He is only the second champion to tackle the 14.7-mile circuit in a 24-hour event after Niki Lauda in 1973.
Lance Stroll says he has no intention of retiring from Formula 1 âjust yetâ because he still believes in Aston Martinâs project and wants to be in the car if the team reaches its potential. Stroll said: "No, because I still have a lot of belief in this project. And I think the project is so far from our potential. Adrian [Newey] joined the team. We have the new factory, the new wind tunnel, stuff that everyone knows. And I believe this team has a lot of potential, and I want to be in it and be a part of this team when we do get to the point where I believe we're capable of getting to."
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says George Russell will quickly put a difficult Miami Grand Prix behind him after finishing fourth there, and believes his âkillerâ instincts will have him fighting for wins again. Wolff said: "George is so experienced by now. Throughout the weekend we talked, and this is a bit of a bogey track for him. That is absolutely understood. I think nothing will be in the back of our heads when we go to Montreal. George is a killer. What makes him so good is that he never stops fighting and attacking."
Sergio Perez says Cadillac must refine its recent upgrades and âput it all togetherâ if it is to move closer to the cars ahead, as the team prepares a further update package for the Canadian Grand Prix. Perez said: "Now it's about refining what we have and extracting the real potential in all elements. There were definite flashes of real progress, and we need to put it all together at the same time. If we can do this, I believe we'll be closer to the pack in front."
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella says Formula 1 is still a long way from design convergence after noting Red Bullâs different sidepod concept at the Miami Grand Prix. Stella said: "I think for those who are technically interested, we are in a very interesting phase. It's a very interesting phase because if you see the sidepod concept that Red Bull introduced, that's quite different to the sidepod concept that, for instance, Mercedes and Ferrari have adopted. The McLaren style is further different and I think there will be a stabilisation at some stage, a convergence, but we look like we are quite far from this convergence."
Former F1 team principal Otmar Szafnauer says complaints about the new power unit regulations are being driven by purists struggling with big change, as well as teams still getting to grips with how to use the powertrain. Szafnauer said: "It's different from anything we've seen before. And from a purist perspective, you always struggle with big changes like that because you think it's impure. But let's see where it goes. I think it's probably a combination of the regulation change regarding the usage of the powertrain, plus teams getting to grips with how to use it themselves."
Sky Sports News reporter Craig Slater says former Red Bull CEO and team principal Christian Horner is ready to return to Formula 1 but only for the right project, after his non-compete clause expired earlier this month. Slater said: "I've spoken to Horner informally over the past few months and it's clear to me that while he's ready to come back, he has no interest in returning to the pit wall just for the sake of it. It would need to be the right kind of project. That would mean he'd more than likely require a stake-holding within a team that has the potential to win in F1 again."
Toto Wolff says Mercedes need to stay âbalancedâ as the team bring their first update package of the year to MontrĂŠal for this weekendâs Canadian Grand Prix, after rivals took a step forward in Miami. Toto Wolff said: "We head to Canada ready to get back into a regular rhythm of racing. Our competitors took a step forward in Miami, and we need to respond. We bring our first update package of the year to MontrĂŠal, but we know that performance is only performance once it is delivered on track."
Lance Stroll says he believes Aston Martinâs current work can lead to âsomething very specialâ in the future despite the teamâs difficult start to the 2026 season. Stroll said: "Difficult moments always test you, but they also show you who really believes in what you're building. It's easy to believe when results are coming and everything feels good. The real challenge is staying committed when things are harder and you have to work through problems together. That's part of building a top Formula 1 team. I genuinely believe the foundations we're putting in place now can lead to something very special in the future."
Get the full feed, faster alerts, and the stories worth following on your phone.
